Play staged for cause: support for developmentally disabled

ROYAL CITY — Royal School District students will stage “The Shoemaker & The Elves” at the Red Rock Elementary School gym on Friday, Dec. 23, from 6-7:30 p.m.

The purpose of the play is to raise funding for a new non-profit organization intended to increase awareness of rural families dealing with developmental disabilities. Ivan Gutiérrez, who graduated from Royal High in 2012, is asking the community to take in the play in support of this community effort.

Ivan’s brother Alex, 17, has Down’s Syndrome. His brother Ian, 5, has Autism. That has made him well aware of the needs of the developmentally disabled.

Ivan is asking the community to help fund Awareness Within Ruralities (AWR), a non-profit he has organized for the purpose of bringing help to the afflicted who live in rural communities.

“Rural areas have a very small amount of resources to deal with the developmentally disabled,” he said.

Observation has impressed upon Ivan and his mother that they needed to do something. They were noticing that children with developmental disabilities are eventually left on the roadside, after completing K-12, as society moves on.

“It is hard for these people to find employment or activities to help them stay healthy and be productive members of society,” Ivan said. “We want to be a support system that anyone can go to.”

Thinking on the plight of Alex and Ian, Ivan and his mother realized they had done practically the same as the rest of society. They started to ask themselves what would happen to these boys if they were left without parents or brothers for whatever reason

“There is a guilt that eventually makes you want to do something,” Ivan said.

Ivan’s mother, Alejandra Nuñez started to see that her sons could do things for themselves when she worked with them. Before, she did things for them and allowed them to grow as they would.

The family has arranged things so that Alejandra and Ivan can devote all of the time necessary for Alex and Ian. Ivan, who has an AA degree from Columbia Basin College, is licensed to be a care giver. The state pays him to care for his brothers.

Alejandra, who used to work in the fields, stays home now and works with the boys. As their care giver, Ivan spends most of his waking hours with Alex and Ian.

“I just wish I could give them more time,” Ivan said. “Sometimes they don’t want to hang out with me.”

The idea for AWR evolved from Alejandra’s original idea of sharing her story of struggle with other rural parents of developmentally disabled children. After Ivan started multi-media studies at CBC, she realized he was learning the best way for her to tell her story. She suggested he produce a video.

Ivan bought into her idea. He and two friends in the CBC multi-media course formed a small company to do this work, as well as commercial projects.

It didn’t take long for the partners to realize they didn’t have the money to make this happen. Fund-raising was the next step. Ivan formed AWR and is doing this play in hopes of raising the money needed to apply for 501 (c) (3) tax status. That will cost about $800.

“We couldn’t find a venue for the play. We went to the school, and they said yes.” Ivan said.

Ivan noted that people are pitching in before the play is even performed. Friends of the project, including the Catholic Church, are “spreading the word,” he said.

Alex’s situation was exacerbated by the fact his parents had no idea what to do after they learned of his condition. They were poor parents in a poor country.

Out of absolute need, the parents came to the United States several years ago and left Ivan, an older brother and Alex with the grandparents in Mexico. Alejandra went back for the boys about a year and a half later, or 11 years ago.

“Alex has had a real tough life because he wasn’t introduced to school until he was seven,” Ivan said.

The chance for successful independent living for Alex and Ivan has been enhanced by Alejandra’s and Ivan’s efforts. They know so much more now than they used to. They understand they are the first line of help for Alex and Ian.

The film will be made. Ivan just doesn’t know when. He and his mother want it to be comprehensive. So they will be meticulous in putting it together. Ivan and his partners were taping Friday.

“The project would be a documentary film that shows the contrast in services received by rural areas versus urban areas,” Ivan said. “As we became involved with the community, we realized that we are in a position to do a lot more for folks with these conditions than a film to educate the public. We are struggling to find the right approach since there aren’t many models for our particular circumstances.”

According to Ivan, there are no comprehensive programs to help rural families stay informed, and there are children who go through the K-12 system and are left with nothing to do afterward.

“Our mission is to focus on this issue (of what happens to the rural developmentally disabled as they go through life) since it is what most parents are concerned with, but we hope that we can be a dynamic program so nobody gets left behind,” Ivan said.

The Shoemaker & The Elves is taken from a fairy tale, but the script was adapted, Ivan said. The roles will be played by Royal students.

Ivan is asking you to attend and leave a donation of $10 as admission. If you’d like to donate more, the AWR will gladly accept it, he said.